Military spending in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Military spending was 1.99 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.99 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 11.9%
World rank
68th
of 172 countries
All-time high
7.96 billion constant 2022 US$
in 1987
All-time low
40.81 million constant 2022 US$
in 1920
Years of data
116
1908–2023
Military spending in Bulgaria, 1908–2023
Source: Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
In 2023, military spending in Bulgaria stood at 1.99 billion constant 2022 US$.
The figure is up 11.9% on the previous year and up 141.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Bulgaria peaked at 7.96 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1987 and was at its lowest, 40.81 million constant 2022 US$, in 1920.
Bulgaria ranks 68th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 155.74 million constant 2022 US$ | — |
| 1909 | 180.76 million constant 2022 US$ | +16.1% |
| 1910 | 181.32 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.3% |
| 1911 | 184.78 million constant 2022 US$ | +1.9% |
| 1912 | 176.38 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.5% |
| 1913 | 224.28 million constant 2022 US$ | +27.2% |
| 1914 | 196.59 million constant 2022 US$ | -12.3% |
| 1915 | 253.41 million constant 2022 US$ | +28.9% |
| 1916 | 269.21 million constant 2022 US$ | +6.2% |
| 1917 | 232.82 million constant 2022 US$ | -13.5% |
| 1918 | 140.76 million constant 2022 US$ | -39.5% |
| 1919 | 55.91 million constant 2022 US$ | -60.3% |
| 1920 | 40.81 million constant 2022 US$ | -27.0% |
| 1921 | 46.68 million constant 2022 US$ | +14.4% |
| 1922 | 50.19 million constant 2022 US$ | +7.5% |
| 1923 | 103.21 million constant 2022 US$ | +105.7% |
| 1924 | 106.09 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.8% |
| 1925 | 115.06 million constant 2022 US$ | +8.5% |
| 1926 | 115.54 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.4% |
| 1927 | 108.04 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.5% |
| 1928 | 112.33 million constant 2022 US$ | +4.0% |
| 1929 | 107.88 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.0% |
| 1930 | 105.49 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.2% |
| 1931 | 105.96 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.4% |
| 1932 | 105.56 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.4% |
| 1933 | 109.36 million constant 2022 US$ | +3.6% |
| 1934 | 164.76 million constant 2022 US$ | +50.7% |
| 1935 | 209.78 million constant 2022 US$ | +27.3% |
| 1936 | 251.44 million constant 2022 US$ | +19.9% |
| 1937 | 289.42 million constant 2022 US$ | +15.1% |
| 1938 | 333.42 million constant 2022 US$ | +15.2% |
| 1939 | 339.69 million constant 2022 US$ | +1.9% |
| 1940 | 400.09 million constant 2022 US$ | +17.8% |
| 1941 | 365.99 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.5% |
| 1942 | 316.70 million constant 2022 US$ | -13.5% |
| 1943 | 263.33 million constant 2022 US$ | -16.9% |
| 1944 | 270.13 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.6% |
| 1945 | 264.66 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.0% |
| 1946 | 195.98 million constant 2022 US$ | -25.9% |
| 1947 | 186.13 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.0% |
| 1948 | 195.15 million constant 2022 US$ | +4.8% |
| 1949 | 254.44 million constant 2022 US$ | +30.4% |
| 1950 | 296.17 million constant 2022 US$ | +16.4% |
| 1951 | 629.40 million constant 2022 US$ | +112.5% |
| 1952 | 947.70 million constant 2022 US$ | +50.6% |
| 1953 | 1.11 billion constant 2022 US$ | +16.9% |
| 1954 | 1.14 billion constant 2022 US$ | +2.7% |
| 1955 | 1.07 billion constant 2022 US$ | -5.9% |
| 1956 | 1.16 billion constant 2022 US$ | +8.6% |
| 1957 | 1.12 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.7% |
| 1958 | 1.22 billion constant 2022 US$ | +9.3% |
| 1959 | 1.14 billion constant 2022 US$ | -6.5% |
| 1960 | 1.23 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.0% |
| 1961 | 1.45 billion constant 2022 US$ | +18.0% |
| 1962 | 1.59 billion constant 2022 US$ | +9.9% |
| 1963 | 1.65 billion constant 2022 US$ | +4.1% |
| 1964 | 1.70 billion constant 2022 US$ | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 1.79 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.2% |
| 1966 | 2.18 billion constant 2022 US$ | +22.2% |
| 1967 | 2.49 billion constant 2022 US$ | +14.0% |
| 1968 | 2.69 billion constant 2022 US$ | +8.2% |
| 1969 | 2.91 billion constant 2022 US$ | +8.1% |
| 1970 | 3.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.5% |
| 1971 | 4.49 billion constant 2022 US$ | +38.3% |
| 1972 | 4.38 billion constant 2022 US$ | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 3.85 billion constant 2022 US$ | -12.2% |
| 1974 | 3.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 3.65 billion constant 2022 US$ | -5.7% |
| 1976 | 3.91 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.1% |
| 1977 | 3.91 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 3.50 billion constant 2022 US$ | -10.7% |
| 1979 | 3.89 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.2% |
| 1980 | 4.19 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.8% |
| 1981 | 4.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.7% |
| 1982 | 5.41 billion constant 2022 US$ | +19.7% |
| 1983 | 6.04 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.8% |
| 1984 | 6.46 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.9% |
| 1985 | 6.56 billion constant 2022 US$ | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 7.29 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.0% |
| 1987 | 7.96 billion constant 2022 US$ | +9.2% |
| 1988 | 7.62 billion constant 2022 US$ | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 6.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | -14.2% |
| 1990 | 4.45 billion constant 2022 US$ | -31.9% |
| 1991 | 2.03 billion constant 2022 US$ | -54.3% |
| 1992 | 1.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | -30.0% |
| 1993 | 1.05 billion constant 2022 US$ | -26.3% |
| 1994 | 798.70 million constant 2022 US$ | -23.9% |
| 1995 | 657.13 million constant 2022 US$ | -17.7% |
| 1996 | 569.88 million constant 2022 US$ | -13.3% |
| 1997 | 560.37 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 591.78 million constant 2022 US$ | +5.6% |
| 1999 | 624.96 million constant 2022 US$ | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 593.91 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 605.96 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 675.79 million constant 2022 US$ | +11.5% |
| 2003 | 717.14 million constant 2022 US$ | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 848.02 million constant 2022 US$ | +18.2% |
| 2005 | 872.13 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 1.02 billion constant 2022 US$ | +17.1% |
| 2007 | 1.30 billion constant 2022 US$ | +27.5% |
| 2008 | 1.37 billion constant 2022 US$ | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 1.11 billion constant 2022 US$ | -18.8% |
| 2010 | 1.01 billion constant 2022 US$ | -9.1% |
| 2011 | 915.35 million constant 2022 US$ | -9.2% |
| 2012 | 855.48 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 823.84 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 823.58 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 755.58 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.3% |
| 2016 | 831.77 million constant 2022 US$ | +10.1% |
| 2017 | 926.79 million constant 2022 US$ | +11.4% |
| 2018 | 1.13 billion constant 2022 US$ | +22.0% |
| 2019 | 2.05 billion constant 2022 US$ | +81.1% |
| 2020 | 1.75 billion constant 2022 US$ | -14.5% |
| 2021 | 1.77 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.78 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 1.99 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.9% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 1.99 billion constant 2022 US$ is below the median for high income countries, which is 6.50 billion constant 2022 US$, 31% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 1.99 billion constant 2022 US$ is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.44 billion constant 2022 US$, 82% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | +112.5% | 296.17 million constant 2022 US$ | 629.40 million constant 2022 US$ |
| 1923 | +105.7% | 50.19 million constant 2022 US$ | 103.21 million constant 2022 US$ |
| 2019 | +81.1% | 1.13 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.05 billion constant 2022 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 168.25 million constant 2022 US$ | 155.74 million constant 2022 US$ | 180.76 million constant 2022 US$ | 2 |
| 1910s | 191.55 million constant 2022 US$ | 55.91 million constant 2022 US$ | 269.21 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1920s | 90.58 million constant 2022 US$ | 40.81 million constant 2022 US$ | 115.54 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1930s | 201.49 million constant 2022 US$ | 105.49 million constant 2022 US$ | 339.69 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1940s | 271.26 million constant 2022 US$ | 186.13 million constant 2022 US$ | 400.09 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1950s | 984.26 million constant 2022 US$ | 296.17 million constant 2022 US$ | 1.22 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.97 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.23 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.91 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.49 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.26 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.19 billion constant 2022 US$ | 7.96 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.28 billion constant 2022 US$ | 560.37 million constant 2022 US$ | 4.45 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 911.16 million constant 2022 US$ | 593.91 million constant 2022 US$ | 1.37 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.01 billion constant 2022 US$ | 755.58 million constant 2022 US$ | 2.05 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.82 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.75 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.99 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 65 Slovakia 2.71 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 66 Yemen 2.45 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 67 Lithuania 2.17 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 69 Uzbekistan 1.78 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 70 Angola 1.77 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 71 Bahrain 1.75 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
More reference data data for Bulgaria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3067 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2728 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2506 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.36 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in Bulgaria?
- Military spending in Bulgaria was 1.99 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 7.96 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1987.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.81 million constant 2022 US$ in 1920.
- How does Bulgaria rank for military spending?
- Bulgaria ranks 68th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 141.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 116 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.